Midlife Crisis Hawaii

Neighborhood Stores

Jun 23, 2010

Thanks for all the replies to the Old Time Summer Treats entry. That one was pretty active and so it strayed a bit, that’s okay! We’re here to share our memories – whatever they may be.

btw, I added a “Recent Comments” widget on the right side of the blog page so you can check if new comments were added to previous blog entries. Sometimes, the older entries takes on a life of it’s own and keeps going. That’s a good thing!

There were quite a few comments referring to neighborhood stores in people’s old stomping grounds – from Kapahulu to Waipahu to Ewa Beach. And even from the neighbor islands. So, I thought it would make logical sense to continue the conversation remembering our small kid time neighborhood stores.

Me, I grew up in Kailua. We didn’t really have neighborhood stores in the true sense like Ruger Market in Kapahulu or John’s Store in Liliha – stores that were located smack dab in the middle of homes. Everything was in Kailua town. But we did have neighborhood-like stores in Kailua town, such as Kuulei Malt Shop where they sold the best shave ice in Kailua. And a soda fountain with a huge rack of assorted candies located in the back of the store – behind the eating booths.

There is also Kalapawai Store which is located just at the entrance of Kailua beach. I guess you could call that a neighborhood store, but just across the street was a small mall where Foodland was – which is where Island Snow is located now – the one where President Obama stops by to get his shave ice fix.

Over in Aikahi, where I used to play little league baseball and hang out at friend’s houses, before the Aikahi shopping center was built, the only snacks around were the soda machine in the back of the Aikahi fire station and the candy machine located just inside the door of Pinky’s Broiler at the Pali Palms hotel.

But back to Kailua town, we did have Cornet, Stewart’s, Kress, Hugh’s Drugs, Oneawa Market, Harada Market, and Walrich Drugs to name a few. And remember when “head” stores popped up? The stores that sold incense, tapestry rugs, scented oils, bongs, black light posters, beads, and other hippy related items? I remember a store named “One Step Beyond“. And there was also “Mescalito’s” – that lived on in Kailua into the 80’s.

Paula remembers Panui Store on Liliha street in her neighborhood. In fact, her friend’s parents used to own the store – and lived upstairs of it. Panui store is still there today and open for business – although with different owners and has been retrofitted with air conditioning. On the other hand, John’s Store located further up Liliha street is still in it’s original form. Old wooden building with a concrete floor and no air conditioning. There is even the shave ice bench located outside for you to sit and enjoy your cool summer treat. I haven’t been there in a while – I wonder if the cat that sleeps on the stack of newspapers is still there…

What are some of the old neighborhood stores or eateries that your remember? What do you remember buying there? Ice cream? Shave ice? Candy? Crack Seed? Kist soda? Or maybe just hanging out under the steps as sally and friends did.

Grew up mostly in Kaimuki. We had a Walrich Drug in Kaimuki on the corner of Kokohead and Waialae Ave. It used to have everything from Tomoe Ame to Wise? (Milk) Candy to button candy. Dick’s Bakery a door down and the Crack Seed Store around the corner on Kokohead. Yes, we used to have a Kress Store across the street where ToynJoys is now and also a Thrifty Drugs. There was Tropic Bakery under Kaimuki Bowl which used to sell Fudgesicles for 7 cents and butter rolls for 5 cents. Of course, that’s when the H-1 freeway was still a big hole in the ground so Waialae Ave was the main drag.

Yes, ct, I grew up in Kaimuki too kinda borderline Kaimuki/Kapahulu… mom ‘n pop store heaven! Thrifty Drug had a soda fountain area, as did Antone’s Fountain just up the block. Also Kwong On Chinese Mdse, with the best manapua east of Libby’s.

In Kapahulu we had Stop ‘n Shop, Rexall Drug, Akita Store, & Ruger Market. The rest of the Kapahulu gang can give details on them and more~!

Grew up in the Nuuanu/School St area. There were many Mom & Pop stores along School St. as I walked home from Kauluwela School to Nuuanu. I remember the racks of comic books on the sidewalk, 10 cents each. Seed was for 10 cents a package. Those waxed covered green dill pickles were sold in a large barrel full of those pickles. So many snacks to choose from…..those were simple fun days.

No tease eh? Good thing I got a 22 yr old here. She wonders how I survive what with the questions I ask her about using electronics. LOL

@LINDA KATO: B&S Store is now owned by my friend and fellow HI 72er Kelvin Shimazu and his son Kendall. They make THE BEST (see, that would have been bold) shave ice in the world!!!!!!!!! BOLD BOLD BOLD! heh.

OK my neighborhood stores. Here in the plantation camp we had 2 stores. One Filipino one called the Pastor Store which was righ across the street from our house. Use to go buy candy from there.

Then we had the Yamauchi Japanese store down the street. They were the bigger store with more vegetables, housewares and stuff.

On the way to Haaheo Elem we used to stop at Moya store for bento. Oh man I miss their fuud.

Downtown Hilo we had Kress, National Dollar, Chong store for our fireworks and to check out some really old cool stuff. We had Mamo Traders (still open BTW. Western Auto was one of my favorite. Bought most of my bikes there. Western Flyers baby.

Oh man, some guud memories of Hilo town. No can list all. Gotta come back laters.

I grew up in Manoa so there was Toyo’s Superette. After elementary school finished we had to walk to the Japanese school across from Toyo’s. For a quarter I would get a small strawberry Icee for $0.15 and a bag of Lay’s potato chips for $0.10.

Sad to say like most of the mom and pop or family run business it is no longer around.

Kwong On – A classmate’s family owned that. I once asked him for THE SESAME CANDY RECIPE that his father made and sold there……NO DICE. Can’t get a Chinese guy to give away a “secret”.

Lau’s Market on the corner of 8th and Waialae – Used to go there and Mr. Lau would ALWAYS FOLLOW US in the aisles. Guess he thought we’d shoplift or something as no one else would be in the store yet he’d “slyly” follow us acting like he’s straightening stuff in the shelves…..I knew what he was doing……..

Dick’s Bakery – was a client of my aunty who’s a CPA. Used to take his “books” to him and he had this neat attic above the bakery and he’d pull down this stairs/ladder contraption from the ceiling to go up in there.

Haven’t seen this mentioned but are PIXIE STIX still sold? We used to buy those and one day the MEGA PIXIE STIX, about 3 feet long and an inch in diameter looking like a HUGE STRAW came out……..to a lil kid, that was NIRVANA!

Morning all!
Quick question related to the last blog.
Where da secret store that sells dried abalone?
I’m leaving Saturday. Short and last minute trip, but would like to bring some abalone home if I make $$.

@91boz, yea, I remember all those stores you mentioned. Tanaka Store, didn’t they live in the back house and had their own windmill for pumping water? Wasn’t Isaac about your age?

Grew up in Honouliuli, a small town between Ewa and Waipahu and there were a lot of merchants and business in the 40’s and 50’s, serving mostly plantation families from Ewa and Ewa Beach. I understand that they even had a lively dance hall behind Honouliuli Shokai but I remember the 2 service stations, dry cleaners, barber shop, beauty shop, appliance shop, saimin stand, liquor store, Rudy’s bar, garage/trucking-taxi business and several stores that sold general merchandise, sundries, groceries and snacks…Honoululi Shokai, Kono’s, Nishimura’s, Nitani’s and one more I can’t remember who ran it…maybe the Ito’s. Sadly none of them around but I have great memories growing up in Honouliuli.

I also lived near Panui Store, but a little further down, by Liliha Market. I don’t remember ever going to John’s though it was near school (Ma’ema’e), maybe because it would have been a little out of the way as opposed to being on the way home. There were a LOT of mom & pop stores along Liliha Street when I was a kid but most of them are long gone.

Right down the street from Panui store used to be Liliha Market. The Lees owned that place and I went to school with their son, Gordon from K-6. Heard they had good roast pork over dea before the new owners took over.

John’s Store is nestled in the fabulous neighborhood of Puunui. In my biased opinion, that was the best place to grow up. You can smell the high maka-maka grass growing from Oahu Country Club! Actually a lady was the real owner of John Store. She was a widower and named it for her friend, John. The family always used to eat at my parent’s restaurant.

http://www.yellowbot.com/kam-heong-market-honolulu-hi.html
That’s the store that gave me a mouth full of rotten teeth. Sure, the store owner liked us of course; we help put their kids through college! I read the obituary that the owner, Kammy Kam worked there for 58 years. But I heard they’re still in business.

Sheesh, they’re putting up a Ross’ in the old Waikiki Theater #1 & 2. That takes away so many memories growing up—especially Blue Lagoon and Rocky! Before Ward Entertainment Center, we used to look forward and taking our dates to Seaside Avenue. Hope for Ross’ sake that like the saying goes, everything that glitter doesn’t turn into gold.

@Linda Kato – How’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad going? One of the areas Kiyosaki glamorizes is the success of his rich dad. But for me, poor dad was more valuable in the sense that poor dad learned to survive with what he had, and probably gave his children more lessons in life than rich dad. My dad is in the nursing home now, but I never fault dad for not teaching us how to invest. But dad taught us the meaning of hard work and how to treat mom and us with the utmost respect.

I just finished reading Ben. How come I don’t see you in Dave Shapiro’s blog since you registered? Ho man, those guys over there, they are so opinionated. But when it comes to politics and such, people take a stand with conviction. You have to write these thesis and dissertations just to explain yourself.

@sally (#17): I spent four of my elementary years living in Kapahulu. Is the Okamura store the one on the Ewa/makai corner at the Campbell Ave, intersection Ewa of the Japanese school? If it is, that’s where I bought all my baseball cards (including some valuable ones), which were later thrown out by my Mom.
Ruger Market: Although I lived near the Ruger Market, I wasn’t a customer till years later (after I had moved away) when I became friends with Clinton and Gerald Tamada (we bowled and played cards). I heard that Clinton was responsible for most of the poke.

I grew up in Manoa Valley and the store we had there as Che mentioned was Toyo’s. We used to get Icee and other frozen treats over there. Once when I was getting a popsicle out of the freezer thing I hears some boys snickering, I turned around and they were looking at Playboy. Was that you Che?
Also had one Rexall store in the shopping center next to Safeway. I remember the penny candy and getting those horlick bottles from there.
As I got older we used to go to Kay’s crack seed for Shave ice and Icee. The lady there was nicer than the one at Toyo’s and she has an incredible memory. To this day she remembers me and my brother when we see her around the Valley.

I only remember a few mom -n- pop places in Kane`ohe from sma’ kid time – the crack seed store just Kahuku-side of Times Supermarket (HNL2LAS – was it just called “Crack Seed Center”?) Their cherry seed was so ono, and they sold ice cakes too.

Another one was Honda’s, I think, on the Kailua side of the Library on Kamehameha Hwy. I used to buy chocolate milk on route to the Library. I think there’s an art gallery where that store used to be.

There used to be a small window store front in the same building as where Golden Crown used to be and where Pahke’s is now that sold great pork hash. I would get three pork hash/pepeiao as a snack after school – I have no idea what it was called.

I lived for a time with friends in Nanakuli back in 1982 and remember going to Yuen’s store between Helelua and Haleakala Sts. Imagine my surprise upon moving here and going back there to find they were still open and now being run by the Yuen’s children – the Yuens retired but are still living there.
Long live these wonderful little mom and pop stores! They give their neighborhoods a flavor that the big box stores and markets can never match.

Ho, the sights, sounds and smells of Liliha is making all dakine nostalgic. Anybody remember the kim chee factory on the corner of Kuakini and Liliha? Man, that place reeked of sourness and garlic-ness. Much worse than harm ha sauce, buggahaong, and thousand-year old egg combined! Every time when we used to walk to and from school, you could smell it from a mile away, especially bad when had Kona winds. Haunahs, brah!

@M – That’s right, Nakama Store was our place for goodies. The store is still there, I think the new owners are Korean. They get a lot of business from the students from Anuenue School, now a Hawaiian immersion school.

Do you recall a small candy/goodies shop near the intersection of Waiomao Rd and 10th Ave? It was more like a temporary structure that just opened when school was out (Palolo School). They only sold candy and other goodies.

Other stores in Palolo were Palolo Superette, Tomisato, and Rainbow Market. Also one off Palolo Ave above the old laundromat…can’t recall the name.

@91boz: Howzit! So you used to come over to Waipahu and get treats from all the old stores! Wow, from one end to the other! Shinsato Store for ice cake, which was next to Nabarette (Filipino store that was there FOREVA, but, sadly, now gone). And, yeah, Kawano’s had da bes’ counter to sit and eat hot dog and drink Cherry or Vanilla cokes! And Takenaka’s farther down Waipahu Street. I hardly went in there…the lady was mean looking (sorry!). As for Hanaoka Fountain, by the time I was growing up, it was Hamada Okazuya in that spot. And, OMG, the fried noodles was DA BOMB! If you lived on MY side of Waipahu, you went Hamada’s for bento for school fieldtrips. If you lived on the up-side of Waipahu, you went Leeward Drive-In for your box lunch. Sato’s Okazuya is still around in Waipahu, but slightly different location, and their noodles ono, too (but Hamada’s was betta!)

@Linda Kato – Wow, George Dean Studio had your senior picture on display? Na Alii ’69? My mom was a p/t worker then. Full-time a couple years later. Hideo & Janet Ishihara owned George Dean. Uncle Hide was Da Man and took most of our senior pictures if you lived on the Leeward side!

Also in Waipahu next to Nii Superette, was Kiso Store. I forget who owned that. Tamanaha family??? Anyway, they sold hardware and cement stuff. But they had an Icee machine in there and I used to play with the grand-daughter, so the Grandma used to give me free Icee! Score!

@Rodney: I was trying to remember the name of that store myself. We lived for a brief time on Mikiola Drive, and it was a highlight of my time there when mom let me walk to that store to buy candy with my friends. Remember when a candy bar cost a dime? Aigoo.

Born, raised, and still am a Kapahulu boy. Okamura Store and Stop and Shop were already mentioned. Down my street was Aloha Sundries, which became Tanseido. I remember getting a couple dollars for mowing and raking the lawn, then running (literally) down the street to buy a $2 model car. By the late afternoon, the thing would be finished, glue stains and all. On the next corner, Castle/Campbell, was the old Okada Store. The old man seemed grumpy, but that was the place I’d buy fish candy from the jar. Mom would send me on errands to Akita Store to buy milk (around 60 cents for a half gallon) and bread (around 30 cents). Kapahulu Sundries was a Rexall Drug Store that I thought was a rip off because they charged TAX!The neatest thing about Kapahulu Sundries was that it was air conditioned.

About one block away from “John’s Store” in Puunui, there was another Mom And Pop store run by the Chew family. I believe the official name was “Puunui Grocery” but everybody called it “Nam Chew’s”. I think that they probably had more variety than “John’s Store”. The Chews sold meat, vegetables, fruits, bread, canned goods, soda, ice cream, chinese seeds, candies, cookies and hostess snack cakes. Mr. Chew would even make deliveries in his station wagon to elderly customers who would call in their orders. The store was open from 7 AM to 7 PM Monday to Saturday and the Chews lived next door to the store.

I’m a “aliamanu girl”- the only hang out for everybody was Moanalua Shopping Center. Back in the day- Rexall Drug store where I bought the 10 cent chips and chinese seeds. Kress was located at the center too as well as a Foodland (then it closed down). Now Moanalua Shopping Center has been totally rebuilt- can’t reconize the place with many more eateries.

And not stores but there were two barber shops on Campbell Ave… Doris and somebody else. My mom used to give my 3 older brothers quarters and say “Go cut your hair” and they’d walk down the street, down the hill, cut hair, walk back home again. Where do you see kids doing that now?

@Seawalker, did you read my post to you yesterday on the other thread?

My husband reads slow, is only on Chapter 2 of Rich Man, Poor Man. Have to borrow the book this weekend to read ahead of him! Maybe I’ll start on the 2nd book he read first. Will read more when I retire. My job exhausts me. I have 250 cases on my desk today. I don’t think she believes I am RETIRING on 9/30/10. I may leave a large pile for her to do!!

Re: my pal, David Shapiro, I used to wake up every morning to read his blog and post my comments until I met Rodney on Vegas,Baby! and MLCer’s blog. Don’t tell him I’m over here every day now! I’ll go check out his site tonight and read several posts to see how he is doing. His followers write dissertations and wear me out!

@Steve – Holy abalone, they had another store besides John store (that’s how we pronounced it)? Where abouts was this Nam Chew’s? Towards Puunui playground or St. Francis hospital? Must have been the 70’s or even before cause I have not recollection at all. I must have been still wetting my diapers and sucking my thumb at that time!

When we were in elementary school, we used to sneak across School Street and buy chow fun for 25 cents to eat from this store in the morning. Wish I remember the name, but I only remember the chow fun because, one time, my dad deviated his normal route driving to work and saw us crossing the road with the chow fun in our hands. Yup, you guessed it. When we got home from school, DIRTY LICKINS! I think it was the buckle side of the belt too…ouch!

@Linda – We rented suits from Hale Niu for my grandfather’s funeral. My mother wanted all of us to look preem and proper, so all 8 of us were overdressed for the occasion.

I also grew up in Kapahulu and remember Kapahulu Drugs that’s now Zippy’s, Stop and Shop where I bought my baseball and football cards, Tanseido Drugs where I bought my football and baseball magazines, Akita Store, and Okumura Store. Used to frequent these places after Japanese School (Waikiki, Kapafulu). I also remember Ben Franklin in Kaimuki where I got my first toy Mustang that later became Kress and a store at the corner of Kaimuki and Kapahulu that I got my first Icee (I can’t remember the name of the store but it became Toraji Restaurant). Just had a thought, remember the Big 88 (I think that’s what it was called) on Beretania where they sold the army surplus supplies?

@Linda – Haha, good point about the pennies. Whenever I see one on the ground, I pick them up. Why? Not because I’m Pake, but because the penny says, In God We Trust. That’s good enough for me. Even the rich people living in Kahala pinch pennies. They are rich for a reason, and it is because they do not like to waste. Just remember, when I retire early and am able to do things at my leisure, it all started off with a penny!

@29.. Kan– I remember the Crack Seed Center at Kaneohe. They had the beat old kine whole seed. There was another crack seed store at Hauula near swanzy beach — mauka of the wooden whale sign.
I really miss good cherry seed that was my hands down favorite. Once there was a truck near Aikahi and the Chinese man sold the best li hing mui it had a sort of peppery taste. I can’t find crack seed to match either of these places.

Rodney– I remember that candy machine at the old Pali Palms. I vaguely remember the soda machine near the fire station. When Aikahi shopping center went in there was a hot chocolate machine and it was so nice on a cold rainy day to drink hot chocolate and walk in the rain.
I loved Coronet and Kress. Does anyone remember WigWam???
And of course Arakawas.

@Mike in waipio, Ruger Market was great. We’d walk from Kaimuki Intermediate back to 6th avenue. I drive it now when I visit mother. Kinda long walk, wonder how the heck we did it. But we would stop for ginger mui and icee there.

@oceanlover, my friend’s family owned Lau’s market. What they get over there now?

@Linda Kato. Hi. Used to get our prom tux from Nale Nui. Right down the street from us. I worked with Gretch for a long time.

@Masako, had a gf that lived in Manoa.
When courting her, I help her campaign for Anson Chong. We held signs right across Toyo’s, right by the green building Japanese School. Think I told che about that on another post. I think I know the owner’s daughter. Fishhead’s wife’s friend.

@seawalker, I was only teasing about the pennies. I’ve been saving on electricity for over a year. Once we were told we would be furloughed, for my spouse and me, that was $1000 paycut per month. He retired because he got more pay with Social Security and his State Retirement pay than working! And, I started looking for ways to save pennies, my electric bill is less than my monthly water bill since we conserve every where and consume less oil than we used to.

@Yv – I remember Wigwam. But it was the one in Dillingham. My mom toiled there for a period. One time she came home and was using a bunch of new swear words on my dad. Then it dawned on me, it’s only a few blocks away from Farrington h.s.–talofa!

Liliha had a lot of shops. There used to be Kunawai Fountain across from Liliha Market. I remember sitting at the counter wishing I could get an ice cream float. Eddie and Jimmy’s Market was on the corner of Kuakini where the craft store is now, and across Honda Delicatessen. Further down was the strip of stores where Jane’s Fountain still is, and the original L&L. I loved going to Drug Center with obachan to pick up her kusuri. The pharmacist, Mori-san seemed like a kind man and the store smelled nice and clean. Across the street was Dutch Girl Bakery. I liked Liliha Bakery better, and that was before they had coco puffs! I enjoyed standing outside the window on Kuakini Street watching the cake decoraters, but I don’t recall any kim chee smell. There was even Liliha Dry Goods near School Street.

@Steve #44: I forgot about that store up from John’s Store. I remember seeing it from the bus stop across the street.

OT, off topic. On Saturday one of my coworkers called me to catch up. We usually go out to lunch at least every other month. It had been 6 months since our last visit. Reasons for not calling me: she went to Big Island for her daughter’s graduation from UH Hilo and broke her foot, was in a boot for 6 weeks. Then she caught the H1N1 flu virus. After that she got SHINGLES. Her employer outsourced her job and her COBRA ran out just when she needed it the most.

Other than ALL of that I asked her, how are you? Fine, now was her reply, lets go to lunch one day soon….

So MCLer’s if you think you are having a bad week, think of my poor friend had so much on her plate for the past 6 months.

@Rodney, OT again. At lunch today I shared with my coworkers that I will be going to the benefit concert for the bone marrow drive on Friday. My coworker, Zach Wadsack told me he has donated his bone marrow 3 times! Twice on the mainland and once in Hawaii. I told him God will bless him many times over for his willingness to save three separate lives!

I signed up when Alana Dung’s family asked people to sign up to help her. I’ve never been a match for anyone yet.

@LK: Wow, did your co-worker match 3 different people? I’ve been registered since way before Alana Dung. If I come up as a match to someone, I’d consider that the equivalent to winning a lottery! Looking forward to meeting you soon!

@Aunty Paula, yes, he told me 3 different people a few years apart. I told him he was special all afternoon long! He told me it was a very painful process and he hurt for 7 days after. I told him I would do it in a heartbeat if I could save someone’s life! See you soon!

@fishhead, thank you for your business. My father in law owned the business but didn’t do the work. He hired workers for that. Glad to hear the worker treated you nicely!

@seawalker, I know you are sleeping, read this tomorrow! Ok, went over to David Shapiro’s blog and read all of his posts for the month of June 2010! I’m all caught up! Too heavy duty politics for me. I have more fun on this blog but will remember to tell him hello now and then. I always remember him on his birthday 9/1 since it is a few days before my birthday.

@fishhead – Yes! I remember the Honsport store in Kailua Shopping Center – close by Ethel’s dresses (not that I shopped at Ethel’s dresses). I used to stop by there (Honsport) every now and then after work (at Volkswagen). You managed it? I remember, it was a pretty big store.

I grew up in the “country” and East or West of our camp, the nearest store was more than 5 miles either way. In late ’63 we moved to Palolo Valley and lived above the superette and sundries. Palolo Sundries made the best saimin there was and the unusual thing was that the dashi was red due to the enormous amount of shredded char siu that was piled on top of the saimin. That quart size take out was 45 cents and nothing was left when you were pau. I can still see the owner’s smiling face from 47 years ago.

the other candy machine at pinkys the just outside the lounge entrance we figured out
if you didnt let the handle go all the way
back and pulled again out came another candy
we emptied the bon ami or whatever with rice
paper on the way back from surfing castles everytime

Abalone…ChinaTown…at the traffic light you turn
right and you’ll see 99 Ranch the bldg on the left
theres only 2 r 4 stores but its a chinese herb
store and when you go in ask the young gy for fresh
abalone and he’ll go in the back to get it. You can have him slice it free for you and sealed but
you going pay the price, They have small baby scallops, seeds that is cheap $2.50 small bag ono
horse shit seed. Trying to find my card but the
guy name is Michael… Going eat Korean Food, new
place by Macy Furniture store, there is a reasonable korean buffet, Macy across the parking lot all you can eat a must

Ho…..dis place turning into one ZIPPY’s with all the MLC’ers drinking coffee and loitering! 😉

@ Cohiba #57 – I don’t know what’s over at the old Lau’s Market location (corner of 8th and Waialae). I used to work with one of the daughters at my aunty’s CPA firm and also visit the other daughter at the IRS. Both daughters so NICE, yet the daddy is a store “nazi”. 😉

When Hee Hing was still a small restaurant we used to take out Wo Gau Gee Mein almost every Sunday. We’d take our own big stock pot and they filled our order. My job on the drive home was to make sure the cover stayed on the pot and nothing spilled. Big task when you’re only 7,8,9 yrs old.

For special occasions my daddy took us to actually eat IN the restaurant. That’s when I could order my fave Shrimp Pineapple. nom nom nom!

I remember Kunawai Fountain used to have these cups of juices for either a nickel or dime. But junk, they used to put too much ice–huge chunks. Nice paint job to that building recently, but the color ugly.

Da haunas kim chee used to be on the corner of Kunawai and Liliha. Thank you @AP.

Eh @Rod #83 – I’m not a photographer, but the lighting and background is excellent work. But…that picture, you guys look like Beauty and the Beast with the tux on. Just kidding. How’s the muffler on the jackhammer? Boy, back-in-the-days, I used to get annoyed just from the noise whenever the neighbors mowed or weed whacked the grass. But different now. I’m the one making the racket all the time.

@LK – Think I’m going to read Kiyosaki’s second book too. Thank you very much!

Funny story about the Rexall Drugs in Wahiawa. We used to go there all the time when waiting for the bus. There was always this one lady that would follow everyone around the store and watch like a hawk. We would purposefully split up and walk in different areas all the time.

Years later we are in High School or Intermediate School and walking to school. This lady drives up to us and asks if we want a ride. We politely said no.

After she drives away we all trying to figure out who she was. Then it dawned on us. It was the lady from Rexall. Then we said good thing we neva go. She would probably dump our bodies somewhere in the pineapple fields for all the hassles we gave her in the past. nah, it was nice of her to offer, but the walk was not that far.

@Kage – Okay, Wigwam in Waipahu was up on Farrington Highway, Ewa bound, on the right hand side, in the shopping complex right after you passed Leeward Drive-In, but before you reached Gem’s. And that’s where Emjay Supermarket was, too!

And, down by Arakawa’s on Depot Road, we also had Big Way Supermarket and Maruyasu Saimin Stand. But, of course, Horiuchi Saimin on Waipahu Street was winnahs!

Oh yeah, and like the other Wigwams, the Waipahu one became Pay & Save and then PayLess after that – I think…

And @Kage, yes, Waipahu had Cornet, too, downside on Farrington Highway, across from what is now Tanioka’s. I remember my mom used to put me on the little one-seat Ferris Wheel dime-ride outside Cornet.

@91boz,so you’re the one who repaired my Sony TV over and over and over and over again, countless times! We finally bought another Sony TV from the same place in Waipahu where you work. So far so good, no repairs!

@kage, the shell of the Cornet Waipahu store is still there. The backside of that building has lots of graffiti on it. It faces the parking lot of the Waipahu Civic Center where I work. I remember shopping there when they were in business.

The only “store” that I can remember is Coronets, Walrich Drugs, Kress, Honda Store and Yogi’s farm supply in Kaneohe. When we moved from N.C. to HI during my 7th grade, I use to hang out at Mr. Yogi’s place and help package the rabbit feed in 1 lb. brown paper bags. Deluxe Bakery was just next door and the smell of the baked goods was sooooo delicious. I think there was a bar next to it as I remember playing pin ball machines there.

Tropicana Bowl was the place to hang out after school as a freshman at Castle. My friends would bowl and I would keep score for them. Green River and Green Onion or Shrimp chips ❗

@M: Jet Raceway was big yeah? I remember my friends and I were all in awe over seeing “The Beard” Bob Lowry come up by us at the track and start racing! We spent more time at Kapahulu Tom Thumb though.

@Sally, did you have the manapua at the old Hee Hing Restaurant? Thought it was the best.

@Kage. Maybe a little bit before your time but there was also Tai Sing on the corner of California and Cane St. Had the glass cracked seed jars on out in front. And yeah, it was Topper
s. Five hamburgers for a buck. The perfect after school snack for a growing boy. By Shan’s there used to be Okimoto Drugs with the high ceiling.

I remembered another good one. ….
Jeanlu Toy Store in Kailua… They sold beautiful stuffed animals and high quality horses. It was sooooo nice. The owners kept the store so clean. I think they had models but I only liked the other items. We didn’t get a lot of toys and we enjoyed what we had and knew how lucky we were.

MLCers: anyone remember on the back part of taxis in Waikiki was a beautiful girl in a bikini advertising Tanya Suntanning lotion. it was my first job making those signs at Display Designers in Kapahulu.

Finally a chance to be on topic. My ADD usually takes over and I can’t focus.
Kapahulu: Stop and Shop, there had a friend that would go to the Dentist office next door and ring the door bell and run away. Come to think of it, his family owned Tanseido Drugs. Think one of our classmates family owned Stop and Shop. Nishida.
Akita Store, now Domino’s Pizza. Jeffery was our classmate. Couldn’t hack it at Kaimuki so went to Punahou. lol
You guys know Fishhead was our valedictorian.
Sally, no laugh.
I remember watching JFK parading down Kapahulu avenue right outside Kapahulu Drug Store.

there was a little mom and pop store across the street from Kalihi Waena Elementary… a shave ice stand and lots of candies… you could actually buy candy for a penny and there was a variety of them, dried cuttle fish, red ika, seeds in big bottles, little trinket toys, waxed pickles but what I remember was they had little pies, custard, apple for a quarter and bread pudding for a nickle… shave ice with ice cream and beans… winnahs… good memories!!!

I grew up right off Palama Street in Kalihi, in a little lane across from Toguchi service station (now a Tesoro) by Vineyard. We had several stores in that area, but my favorite one was OK Grocery on the corner of Palama and Kanoa, by Tamashiro Market. The building is still there, but I think it’s called Ohana Grocery now. There was also a cracked seed store on the same street, and I think it was called Loo’s Store. My mom would send me to OK Grocery after school (Likelike Elementary) to buy the Star Bulletin and milk. I remember buying those little multi-colored candy dots stuck to rolls of paper – you just grab it with your teeth and pull it off. Don’t know if that candy even had a name. Also those coke-bottle shaped wax thingies with liquid in them – I think it tasted like coke, too, but I used to stick the whole thing in my mouth and chew the wax and all. Hadn’t thought about that in ages . . .

@Mitsi – I see those stores on Palama street. That’s the shortcut I use to get to King St. Not much of a shortcut now, though. Lots of people use that street and the green light at King st. is short for cars waiting on Palama. But I still see those little stores there.

Where are the McCully MCL’ers??? I remember Alice’s Market where Waiola Shave Ice is now, the lady was real nice, she used to save baseball card packs for me. Also in the area was Freddy’s Market, on S. King where the McDonalds now stands. Across from that was Kitagawa Store, where they had shave ice better that Waiola’s and it was only 10 cents. They also sold some of the best cracked seed you could find. The owner was really nice. I remember him retiring cuz he said he was going into the apartment business. Near Lunalilo Elementary on Pumehana street was Shiwada store? where you could buy candy and seed or ice cakes for a nickel. And of course, last but not least was the famous “back store” behind Washington Intermediate where the BEST burgers in Hawaii EVER was sold for 25 cents.
@Oceanlovers: They still make pixy stix. I se it once in awhile.
@Cohiba #57, I remember Norman and Linda, the owner’s kids.

@91boz – Wailani Inn? Isn’t that where 7-11 is now? Is that the same place where a bar called The Sty was? And then there was Country Inn, where the American Savings Bank building by Times Supermarket is. You remember that little complex?? Wow, good memories!

Ah yes the good old days, Country Inn! Didn’t there used to be a steeple like a watch tower with the name country Inn?

I remember when I was little my mom took me to a small store in that complex 2nd from Depot rd. across from where Shiro’s is now. As we entered this small store we were greeted with, “Hello”, “Hello” and we responded with “Hello” but could not see anyone around. “Hello what can I get you” we heard from the register area. We looked around the register area and soon realized that we were talking to a Mynah bird.

Remember Clocks drive Inn? They used to make a great teri steak burger and great cole slaw.

Hi @91boz! Oh, man, I cannot remember the steeple thing for Country Inn (I was one real small-kid that time, actually!) And that’s a funny story with the mynah bird! I DO remember my older sister used to take piano lessons at a music store in that complex, and my mom bought my sister’s guitar from that same store.

Whoa! Clock’s Drive-In! Haven’t thought about that place in such a long time! We used to eat tacos from there. And then my mom would take us to go watch movies at Royal Sunset Drive In!!! OK, talk w/you on the other side!

@weke – Wow, Aiea had a theater?? I’m from Waipahu, but my grandma’s house is up Aiea Heights (where I’ve lived the last 4.5 years). But we always came up Gram’s house for dinner every Sunday (& went home after Wonderful World of Disney was pau), so we were in Aiea a lot! I never heard anybody talk about one theater. But I used to go Speedy’s market! My mom says she thinks the theater was around that area…

Okada store was just up the street from where we lived. It was on the corner of Campbell Avenue and Hayden Street. Mom used to send us there if we only needed one or two things. Otherwise she would get groceries from Times Supermarket on King Street in McCully.

I had a vivid recurring dream of getting lost on the way home from Okada Store. In the dream, Hayden Street would be blocked by a huge pile of grass clippings. When I tried to climb over it some orange goo would ooze out from the pile.

Right before we moved out of Kapahulu in 1970, I saw Okada store bulldozed. A victim of a changing economy? An apartment building stands there now.

About The Author

Rodney Lee is a Baby Boomer - and proud of it. Rodney started the Midlife Crisis blog back in the days of The Honolulu Advertiser and ran it for about 3 years. After The Honolulu Advertiser shut down, Rodney decided to continue his blog here at Midlife Crisis Hawaii. New blog entries are added every Monday and Thursday.